Traffic sign



May 24, 1932. R. w. BAILY TRAFFIC SIGN Filed Sept. 22. 1931 3Sheets-Sheet 1 v l/vrkwraz? mmess: I g id [Lu k fiaeryfimz J TUIFIYEK y1932- R. w. BAILY 1,859,578

TRAFFIC smu 1/ mnws K May 24, 1932. R; w. BAILY TRAFFIC SIGN Filed Sept.22. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 bi VENT? Fyfiar/ Bal lV/IWESS:

Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFncE Application filedSeptember 22, 1931.

My invention relates to the construction of trafiic signs such as areused at the intersections of streets and roads and has for its object,in part, to provide for a simple and secure interengagement between asupporting device, adapted to be secured to a post, and label framesadapted to carry labels with the street names. A further object of myinvention is to provide a construction of label frame which will permitof the ready insertion and withdrawal of label plates and at the sametime to securely hold the label plates in position while the frames arein use and my invention consists, in part, in the con- 16 struction of asupporting device in such manner as to provide for a secureinterengagement of a label frame with it and, in part, in theconstruction of the label frame in such manner as to provide for itsinteren agement with the support and also to provi e for the insertionand replacement of label lates While, at the same time, providing for te secure locking of the label plate in the'frame while the frame is inuse.

The nature of my improvements will be best understood as described inconnection with the drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of atraffic sign embodying my improvements.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a similar traffic sign showing a somewhatdifferent angular arrangement of the label frames.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken as on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, of therectangular form of frame.

Fi re 4 is a front elevation of a label holding ame generally similar tothe frames shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but showing an upward extension fromthe frame for holding an additional street sign.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the label holding frame shown in Fig. 4, theindication in dotted lines showin how the upper portions of the platesma ing up the frame can be so arated for the insertion of label plates.

igure 6 is a cross sect-ion on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Figure 7 is a cross section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Figure 8 is an elevation showing the man- Serial No. 534,287.

ner in which the shank of the label holding frame is inserted in thesupporting device, the supporting device being partly broken away toshow its internal construction.

Figure 9 is a view generally similar to Fig. 8, showing the label framein socketed position in the holder, the holder being shown in sectionthrough the slot into which the shank of the frame is inserted, and-Figure 10 is a view showing a modification of the supporting headconstruction,

A indicates the frame holding device when constructed for use as a cappiece on the end of a post, while A, Fig. 10, shows a modification ofthis holding device adapted for use, for instance, in connection with atrolley pole or the like. The cap piece indicated at can of course beset in any angular position on top of the post and should then of coursebe secured against angular deflection, which can, for instance,conveniently be done by a Set screw, indicated at B Where the holdingdevice is to be attached to a pole it is conveniently made, as shown inFig. 10, so that the holding device will fit against one 75 Side of thepole and be clamped to'it by a complementary casting B fitting on theother side of the pole and held to the socket piece proper as by bolts,indicated at B any other convenient fastening device can of course beused to secure the supporting member in an desired position. Thesupporting member or A is formed with slotted openings, indicated at C,and with upwardly and downwardly extending sockets at the inner end ofthe slotted openlng, as indicated at C a ledge being provided adjacentto the downwardly extending socket, as indicated at C to act as asupport for a label frame inserted in theslot. A bolt hole D isconveniently provided, extending through the walls of the slot C andthrough one of these walls is made of such form and dimensions as topermit the head of a bolt inserted in the bolt hole to pass into contactwith the shank of a label frame, as indicated at D The label frameindicated at E is provided with a shank E which is adapted to enter theslot 0 of the holding device but is of less height than the slot and theend of this shank is provided with upwardly and downwardly extendinglugs, indicated at E and E, which are ada ted to enter the upper andlower sockets 1 and C of the holding head or device, the upwardlyextending lug being of such len h th t it will project into the uppersocket 1 when the shank of the frame rests upon the led e C and thedownwardly extending lug is of such length that it will ass over theledge C when the upper lug 1 is inserted in its socket and the shankmoved up in the slot, as shown for instance in Fig. 8. The method ofinserting the shank in the holding device is clearly indicated in thisfigure and it will be seen that when the parts have been assembled theshank and its label frame is supported in horizontal position and sointerengaged with the holding device that it can only be removed byreversing the movement by which it is introduced into the slot and madeto interengage with the upper and lower sockets.

The label holding frame as shown is made up of two plates F and F Theshank E being formed integral with the frame plate F and the plate F,has its lower ed e and a ortion of its outer edge secured to t e platein spaced relation to this plate by means of rivets, as indicated at G,blocks Gr being provided to properly space the plates making up theframe. This method of securing the plates F and F together enables theirupper edges to be separated to a limited extent and I provide on theinside of the upper edges on one or both of the plates F and F inwardlyextending lugs H, H, the upper edges of which are preferably madeslanting as indicated at H. The plate F is provided with a shankextension as indicated at F adapted like the shank E of the plate F toextend into the slot of the holding device or head, as shown in Figs. 3and 9. I indicates a label plate which is made of proper size to beinserted in the frame.

In operation the upper edges of the frame plates F and F are sprungapart, as indicated in Figs. 5 and 6, and a label plate or plates I isinserted between the plates into the space between the plates formingthe frame, this insertion being {facilitated by the tapered form of thelugs The return of the frame plates F and F to normal position causesthe lugs to extend over the tops of the label plates, thus lockirig themin the frame. The shanks E and 2 of the frame are then inserted in theslot C of the supporting head, the breadthof which is preferably such aswill require the shanks to be pressed slightly toward each other inorder to enter the slot and the lugs of the shank E are interengagedwith the sockets in the manner indicated in Figs. 8 and 9. It will beseen that the interengagement of the shanks name-re of the frame platesin the slot of the holding device will effectually prevent theseparation of the frame plates to such an extent as would permit thewithdrawal of the label plate. It is also practicable with myconstruction to secure the label frame in the holding device before theinsertion of the label plate in the frame by pressing the label platedown against the sloping surfaces of the lugs H to spring the upperportions of the plates constituting the label frame apart to asufiicient extent to enable the label plate to be fully inserted, thespring of the frame plates after the insertion of the label plate,bringing the fingers H back over the top of the label late and the enagement of the shanks E and F in the slot, e ectually preventing suchspreading apart of the frame plates as will permit the withdrawal of thelabel plate.

As a further precaution against the disengagement of the frame with itsholding device and also as a means for clam ing the shank or shanks ofthe frame plates and F to one side of the slot in the holding device,

I provide a bolt J, which is inserted in the bolt holes formed in thewalls of the slot and through a bolt hole formed in the shank or shanksof the frame and with its head J resting against the shank E and then bymeans of a nut J the bolt head J can be drawn against the shank and thelabel frame firmly secured in position in the hold in device.

aving now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a traffic sign, a label frame supporting member formed with arelatively high and narrow horizontally extending socket chamber,adapted to receive the shank of a label frame, said socket chamberhaving at its inner end a downwardly extending socket chamber to engagea downwardly extending lug on the frame shank and having a rear walladapted to contact with and form an abutment for said lug, saidhorizontally extending socket chamber having also at its inner end, anupwardly extending socket adapted to receive an upwardly extending lugon the frame shank and having a front wall adapted to serve as anabutment to said upwardly extending lug when the frame shank is fullyinserted in the socket chamber.

2. A label frame adapted for engagement with the supporting member ascalled for in Ill claim 1, said frame having a shank adapted for entryinto the socket chamber of the supporting member but of less height thansaid socket chamber, said shank having an upwardly extending lug adaptedfor entrance into the upper socket of the supporting member and adownwardly extending lug adapted for entrance into the downwardly Illextending socket of the supporting member, said upwardly extending lugbeing of such length that it will maintain its engagement wit the socketwhen the shank rests upon the bottom of the socket chamber, said lowerlug being of such length as will enable it to pass over the bottom ofthe socket chamber when the shank is moved upward in the socket chamberof the supporting member. I

3. A sign holding means consisting of superimposed frames of s rinmetal, said frames having members rigidly eld together with a spacebetween to allow the insertion of a sign plate through one open end intosaid space, the members on the open end being formed with inwardlyprojecting rigid lugs extending from opposin members across the openspace to retain said sign plate below said projectin rigid lugs.

4. A label rame as called for in claim 3, in which the inwardlyprojecting lugs on the separable edges of the frame plates are formedwith sloping upper surfaces.

5. A label frame as called for in claim 3, in which both frame platesare provided with shanks adapted to enter a slot 1n a supporting device.

6. A trafiic sign comprising a supporting member formed with a slot forthe introduction of the shank of a label frame, said slot havingupwardly and downwardly extending sockets at its inner ends and a ledgeadjacent to the downward] extendin socket for supporting the shan of therame in combination witha label frame having a shank of less height thanthat of the slot formed with an upwardly extending lug adapted to engagein the upper socket and a downwardly extending lug adapted to engage inthe lower socket, said upwardly extending lu bein of such length as toextend into t e soc et when the shank of the label frame rests upon theledge and said lower lu being of such length as to clear the ledge w enthe shank is moved upward in the slot and a bolt securing the shank andan porting member in assembled position.

A sign holding means consisting of a post engaging corner piece, havingone or more mtegiral holding arms provided with a frame ho dm chamberhaving opposed walls, a sign olding frame having an end portion insertedin the holding chamber, means for rigidly clamping the $1 frame againstone wall of said hol 'n chamber, the opposite wall being aperture? topermit, the insertion of the clamping means mto engagement with theframe.

8. A sign holding means consisting of a post engaging corner piece,having one or more integral holding arms provided with a frame holdingchamber, a sign holding frame having an end portion inserted in theholding chamber, one wall of said holding chamher being provided withpolygonal openings arranged to permit the insertion of clampin means andprevent the rotation thereof, sai clampin means comprising bolts withnuts threade thereon, said bolts being inserted through the oppositewall and the sign holding frame to ri 'dl clamp said frame to the lastnamed wa said frame havin members rilgidly held together with a spacetween to a ow the insertion of a sign plate through one open end, themembers on the open end being formed with inwardly projecting lugsextending across the o n space.

R0 ERT W. BAILY.

holding

